1 IT’S MY OWN RESUME/ Page Tittle Here

CONNECTION A NEWSLETTER FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PARENTS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

- Coming Soon! Future Bound Miami

- Apply for FAFSA Today!

- E(liminate) Cigs Anti-Vaping Campaign

Volume 12 | Issue #56 |

October 2019

M-DCPS continues to monitor and

respond to any and all reported

threats that may impact schools or

school functions. While we strongly

encourage the reporting of any

suspicious activity, we recognize

the simultaneous need to continue

educating students and parents

about the severe consequences

associated with making threats to

do harm of any kind – whether these

threats are intended as a hoax or

credible in nature. In just the first

eight weeks of school, M-DCPS has

received 24 threats and arrested

six students. Social media threats

disrupt the schools’ educational

environment and interfere with

police officers’ ability to protect

schools from real dangers, drain

law enforcement resources, cost

taxpayers’ money, and increase stress

levels, anxiety and absenteeism.

This is not unique to Miami-Dade.

National media outlets regularly

report on threats made to schools

and other community locations

across the country, many of which

are ultimately deemed non-credible.

However, some represent real

potential for tragedy. Threats

– whether real or intended as a

prank – require the mobilization of

significant resources, potentially

endangering lives, and, therefore,

carry with them often life-altering

repercussions for the perpetrator

of the threat. Even a prank threat

against a school or public place is

considered a federal crime. It can

lead to an arrest and a felony record.

In the coming weeks, the District

will build upon a variety of existing

initiatives to further educate and

broadly disseminate information

aimed at eliminating these disruptive

actions taken by students who often

speak and act before they think.

We are encouraging parents to

speak to their children about

the seriousness of written and

verbal communications and the

consequences that may result from

irresponsible and possibly criminal

behavior.

ATTENTION PARENTS: #ITSNOJOKEMDCPS

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Apply to our award-winning Magnet programs and be part of a legacy of choice and innovation. https://yourchoicemiami.org

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Miami-Dade County Public Schools

(M-DCPS), in collaboration with a

number of partners, is launching

Future Bound Miami, a county-

wide universal Children’s Savings

Account (CSA) program that will

be implemented in phases. This

initiative will be the first of its

kind in the state of Florida and will

eventually become the largest CSA

program in the country.

This year, parents/guardians

of M-DCPS students attending

kindergarten in City of Miami

schools can start saving for their

child’s future with a free Future

Bound Miami savings account that

they will be able to access once

they graduate from high school.

Participation is free. All you have to

do is activate the account between

November 4, 2019 and December

6, 2019. More detailed information

on how to open an account will be

sent to qualifying families prior to

the activation period.

Future Bound Miami wants every

child to succeed and be college-

ready. Research shows that having

just $1 in a college savings account

makes you three times more likely

to go to college and four times

more likely to graduate. Universal

children’s savings accounts put

post-secondary education within

reach by enabling students and

families to build savings and raise

educational expectations.

This initiative is made possible

through partnerships with Catalyst

Miami, The Children’s Trust,

United Way of Miami-Dade, The

Miami Foundation, The Children’s

Movement, City of Miami, South

Florida Educational Federal

Credit Union, Sant La Haitian

Neighborhood Center and Health

Foundation of Florida.

PARENT E-TIPS

Primary:Exercise is importanthttp://bit.ly/2OBfeMQ

Secondary:Apply the appropriate consequenceshttp://bit.ly/2OCUnJc

The Free Application for Federal

Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form

that students need to complete to

get financial aid from the federal

government to assist with paying

for college. Completing the FAFSA is

the most important thing a student

can do to obtain financial aid and

anyone planning to go to college in

the next academic school year should

fill it out. The FAFSA application

period opens on October 1st of each

year. Completing and submitting the

FAFSA is free and quick, and gives

applicants access to the largest source

of financial aid to pay for college. In

addition, many states and colleges use

FAFSA data to determine eligibility for

state and school aid, and some private

financial aid providers may use FAFSA

data to determine qualification for

their aid.

The FAFSA asks students for

information about their finances

and their family’s finances, including

specific tax return information.

Students will need to have their

parent’s assistance while completing

the form. It is a good idea to complete

the FAFSA as early as possible, as some

financial aid is distributed on a first-

come, first-serve basis. Eighty-seven

percent of first year college students

in the state of Florida receive some

form of financial aid. The easiest way

to complete and submit the FAFSA is

online at https://studentaid.ed.gov/

sa/fafsa . When filling out the FAFSA

electronically, you will be asked to

create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA

ID) to use to sign the electronic form

Since a parent also has to sign off

on the FAFSA, they will also need to

create an FSA ID. Please feel free

to use our FAFSA Checklist as you

prepare to complete this important

application.

COMING SOON! FUTURE BOUND MIAMI

APPLY FOR FAFSA TODAY!

IMPORTANT DATES & INFORMATION

October 25 Teacher Planning Day

November 4 Teacher Planning Day

November 11Veterans Day

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M-DCPS will begin accepting

proposals from students for real-

life application concepts starting on

Monday, November 18, 2019. The

“Dadeschools Coding Challenge”

has been developed by Information

Technology Services for middle

and senior high school students to

design, create, pilot and manage

a real-life application (app) that

will allow their peers to view and

keep track of their community

service hours. The app also will

allow school administration

staff to view, approve or deny

all hours submitted by students.

The designers of the first-place

winning app will receive a $7,000

prize; second place will receive

$3,000. There are six phases to

the challenge, which ends in the

spring of 2020. To see the other

phases and for more information,

visit http://codingchallenge.

dadeschools.net/.

FALL into Healthy Habits as Seasons Change

This November, join us in honoring

families throughout M-DCPS as

we celebrate Family Engagement

Month. When schools work

together with families to support

learning, children are inclined to

succeed not just in school, but

throughout life. A child’s education

is a shared responsibility between

schools and families. Next month,

schools are encouraged to highlight

these partnerships in meaningful

ways. The Office of Community

Engagement will be sharing ways

that families can get involved in

their education each day during

the month of November. For tools

and resources on planning a family

engagement recognition event at

your school, as well as resources for

increasing family engagement, visit

https://www.engagemiamidade.net/

family-engagement-month. Find

us on twitter @mdcpscommunity

to follow along as we showcase our

amazing schools and families!

CALLING ALL STUDENT PROGRAMMERS!

NOVEMBER IS FAMILY ENGAGEMENT MONTH

• When the seasons change and temperatures shift, you may be more likely to encounter certain viruses, including the flu and the common cold.

• Practice healthy habits. Your immune system will be ready to fight colds if you eat a balanced diet, get plenty of sleep, keep your body fit through regular exercise. A great prevention tip is hand washing.

• Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness. The best way to prevent the flu is to get a vaccine each fall.

• Families of children with chronic health conditions, such as asthma, seizures, and diabetes should meet with school staff to ensure all medical plans, supplies, and support are specified and managed by your child’s school.

Stay Informed! Stay Connected!

Miami-Dade County Public Schools wants to ensure that you continue to receive emergency information from your child’s school and the District through text messaging. In order to opt in, you must text “Y” to 67587. If you do not respond, you will not be considered opted-in and will miss out on timely notifications.

4 IT’S MY OWN RESUME/ Page Tittle Here

@MDCPS@EscuelasMDCPS@MiamiSup

@MiamiSchools@AlbertoMCarvalho1

@MiamiSchools@MiamiSup @MiamiSchools

Stay connected with Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Make sure you follow us on social media for the latest news and updates regarding the school district.

#MDCPSConnects

SOCIAL MEDIA

www.dadeschools.net

Perla Tabares Hantman, Chair

Dr. Martin Karp, Vice Chair

Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall

Susie V. Castillo

Dr. Lawrence S. Feldman

Dr. Steve Gallon III

Lubby Navarro

The School Board of

Miami-Dade County,

Florida

Dr. Marta Pérez

Mari Tere Rojas

Alberto M. Carvalho

Superintendent of Schools

Christopher Badillo

Student Advisor to the School Board

Produced by the Office of Communications

Daisy González-DiegoChief Communications Officer

On September 19th, 2019 the

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) announced

some alarming figures: 530 people

in this country have confirmed

or suspected cases of lung injury

from vaping tobacco, THC, or some

combination of the two. The number

of cases had increased from 380

reported just the week before. Even

more sobering news: seven of these

patients have died. One 18-year-old

patient, a high school athlete, was

described by doctors as “having the

lungs of a 70-year-old”.

According to the CDC, e-cigarettes

are the most commonly used

tobacco product among youth. In

2016, more than two million U.S.

middle and senior high school

students used e-cigarettes. Youth

and young adults use e-cigarettes

due to curiosity, taste, including

the flavors available in e-cigarettes,

and the belief that e-cigarettes are

less harmful. According to federal

health officials, nicotine is highly

addictive, and vaping is leading

more adolescents to try cigarettes.

The Miami-Dade School Board

wisely took a stand against smoking

years ago, a move that has helped

protect the health and lives of

countless of young people and

employees. Our School Board policy

not only forbids using tobacco and

its derivatives, but also devices

that imitate smoking. Miami-Dade

County Public Schools’ (M-DCPS)

ongoing commitment to raising

awareness about the health risks

of vaping are evident through

the E(liminate) Cigs Anti-Vaping

Campaign. M-DCPS partnered

with the Florida Department of

Health and developed this outreach

campaign to educate students,

parents/guardians, employees, and

community members on the dangers

of e-cigarettes, which also

included a student pledge against

vaping. During this initiative,

students also organized Students

Working Against Tobacco (SWAT)

clubs to empower and bring

awareness to their peers about the

tactics of Big Tobacco companies

and the dangers of using tobacco

products. On Monday, September

30, 2019, students and advisors

participated in the 2019-2020

Annual SWAT Training day.

It is important that our community

supports these efforts, to ensure

our students are healthy and ready

to learn. With your help, we will

continue to provide students the

eye-opening facts about vaping, so

they can take a stand against it.

E(LIMINATE) CIGS ANTI-VAPING CAMPAIGN

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

Dec. 1111 a.m.Regular Meeting

Nov. 20

10 a.m.Organization Meeting11 a.m.Regular Meeting

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